The Resource Centre holds all our documents (briefings, consultation responses, press releases and reports). Signed-in members also have access to projects. You can search the Resource Centre by topic or by type of document.
Resources
Resources
Automated Vehicles: Consultation Paper 3 – A regulatory framework for automated vehicles
A new deal for urban transport: for the pandemic and beyond
This short paper shows how urban transport authorities have been keeping the wheels of public transport turning during the pandemic, working together to meet the challenges of COVID-19, whilst delivering better transport for a green and just recovery from it.
But transport authorities lack long-term, coherent and sufficient Government funding and key powers to provide the best service they can during the pandemic or in the longer term to transform and coordinate public transport.
Our case is set out in more detailed reports here including Building back better on urban transport.
Now is the time for a new deal on urban transport.
Major transport infrastructure projects: appraisal and delivery
National Initiatives on Skills and Diversity for the Transport Sector
Reforming Public Transport after the Pandemic
Briefing on Light Rail
Pavement parking: options for change
Funding and delivering bus services during the pandemic and beyond
Bus Policy
Planning for the future
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National Initiatives on Skills and Diversity for the Transport Sector
Briefing on Light Rail
Funding and delivering bus services during the pandemic and beyond
Bus Policy
UK Transport Governance - an introduction
The key COVID-19 challenges for urban transport and the support we need from Government
Supporting bus services in the COVID-19 recovery period
The urgent need for sustainable bus funding arrangements for bus services in the Covid-19 recovery period
Open letter to Baroness Vere on funding during Coronavirus pandemic
Climate emergency declarations - briefing note
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A new deal for urban transport: for the pandemic and beyond
This short paper shows how urban transport authorities have been keeping the wheels of public transport turning during the pandemic, working together to meet the challenges of COVID-19, whilst delivering better transport for a green and just recovery from it.
But transport authorities lack long-term, coherent and sufficient Government funding and key powers to provide the best service they can during the pandemic or in the longer term to transform and coordinate public transport.
Our case is set out in more detailed reports here including Building back better on urban transport.
Now is the time for a new deal on urban transport.
The Covid-19 Funding Gap: The Case for Continuing Support for Urban Public Transport
This report, produced by transport consultancy Steer for the Urban Transport Group, warns that the future of local public transport services is at serious risk without continued COVID-19 financial support from Government.
It highlights how Government support allowed public transport to continue during the national lockdown (enabling key workers to travel to and from work) and to provide a more comprehensive service at lower socially distanced vehicle capacity following the end of the lockdown.
But the report paints a stark picture for both bus and light rail systems should this support be withdrawn prematurely.
Building back better on urban transport
As the network of transport authorities serving the largest city regions in England, we worked together to keep the wheels of public transport turning during the lockdown so that key workers could get to where they needed to be.
In this paper we set out how, with the right policy framework from Government, we can meet the challenge of ramping up public transport and prioritising cycling and walking to support a green and just recovery.
(Published September 2020)
Towards an appropriate legal and regulatory framework for smart futures on transport
Commissioned from consultants Steer, this report seeks to provide an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses the current UK legal and regulatory framework for smart transport futures in relation to the key challenges that UK transport authorities face. It also explores the potential for anticipatory regulation, principles that could underpin any changes to the framework and recommendations for priority areas in need of reform.
Action stations: How devolution is transforming rail stations for the better
This report focuses on the benefits of the involvement of devolved authorities in rail stations.
It does so by looking at over 35 case studies of how and why devolved authorities have improved stations for the better in recent years – and the wide range of different kinds of benefits that this has brought for passengers and the places the railway serves. These benefits include helping to meet local housing need and sparking regeneration, turning run-down stations into gateways and places to be proud of, and improving the accessibility and environmental performance of station buildings.
The report goes further by looking at the potential to achieve even greater results through devolving more responsibilities for stations, such as delivering common branding with the rest of the local public transport network, through to ensuring plans and funding for stations is integrated with wider plans around housing, economic development and decarbonisation.
Automatic for the people? Issues and options for transport authorities on connected and autonomous vehicles
This report aims to provide an objective framework for city regions to think about connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) and the approaches they might take to them.
It looks at CAVs from the perspective of city region transport authorities in the context of their wider objectives and responsibilities; it recognises that vehicles are becoming increasingly connected and autonomous; and that the range of connected and autonomous vehicles goes beyond just cars to include buses and public service vehicles. It also analyses the safety, economic, social and environmental considerations of CAVs.
The report presents options for how transport authorities may respond to CAVs, and recommends the actions national Government should take to enable them to do so.
The Local Transport Lottery - The costs and inefficiencies of funding local transport through ad hoc competitions
This report takes an in-depth look at the implications of an excessive reliance on competition funding for urban transport projects.
The research shows how such a reliance impacts local authorities’ ability to deliver value for money and places pressure on authorities and their staff.
The report is based on surveys and one-to-one interviews with senior officers responsible for delivering transport policies, programmes and projects in some of England’s largest city regions.
How bus users spend their journey time
This research - conducted by transport consultancy SYSTRA on behalf of the Urban Transport Group - uncovers valuable insights into how passengers spend their time while travelling by bus, and sets out the implications for future bus design and promotion.
The research was based on surveys of over 1,100 people on two different bus routes in Leeds and Nottingham. The two routes both provide a high frequency service and operate with double decker buses with leather seats, WiFi and USB ports - some of the best on-board facilities available. However, the profile of passengers between the two routes was somewhat different, with passengers in Leeds tending to be older, working or retired, whilst a higher proportion of respondents in Nottingham were students, due to the bus route travelling along the university corridor.
Making the connections on climate: How city regions can join the dots between transport, energy and the built environment
This report draws together practical examples of the links that can be made on climate at the city region level between transport and energy, and between transport and the decarbonisation and adaptation of the built environment.
In doing so, the report also suggests practical interventions that can be made on a host of different types of projects as well as profiling how a city can make these connections in an increasingly systematic way - using Nottingham and Munich as case studies.
You can listen to a podcast of a public lecture held at LSE Cities in London, where the report was launched.
What scope for boosting bus use? An analysis of the Intrinsic Bus Potential of local authority areas in England
This research, by Transport for Quality of Life, identifies the underlying conditions that best predict levels of bus use in local areas. It points to six conditions which, when combined, are used to define the ‘Intrinsic Bus Potential’ (IBP) of a local authority area. These include the Index of Multiple Deprivation, the proportion of students, and rush-hour traffic travel times.
The report also identifies additional factors which may explain why some areas exceed expectations with higher levels of bus use than predicted, such as a pre-existing culture of bus use, high levels of bus provision, and local factors such as poor rail connectivity.
The research has a number of important implications, including the need for radical change on bus policy to enable more areas to do significantly better on bus patronage.
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Automated Vehicles: Consultation Paper 3 – A regulatory framework for automated vehicles
Major transport infrastructure projects: appraisal and delivery
Reforming Public Transport after the Pandemic
Pavement parking: options for change
Planning for the future
Submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2020
Transport Decarbonisation Plan
Future of Transport Regulatory Review
e-scooters: pavement nuisance or transport innovation?
Legalising rental e-scooter trials
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Urban Transport Group powers up project into benefits of e-bikes for cities
A new project to examine the wide-ranging potential benefits e-bikes can bring to city regions and the options transport authorities have to harness such opportunities has been commissioned by the Urban Transport Group.
City regions welcome continued emergency light rail funding
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed continued emergency funding for light rail systems outside London, but stressed that longer term funding will be needed whilst public transport recovers from the pandemic.
Urban Transport Group welcomes national bus strategy's “positive and ambitious vision for the future”
The Urban Transport Group, the network of UK transport authorities (which serve the areas where the vast majority of bus trips are made), has today welcomed the national bus strategy.
City regions make case for new deal for urban transport in run up to Budget
City region transport authorities are making the case for a new deal on urban transport in the run up to next week’s Budget.
New report to review regulation of bus safety, commissioned by Urban Transport Group
The strengths and weaknesses of the current system of oversight and regulation of bus safety are to be analysed by the Urban Transport Group in a new report.
Urban Transport Group brings together past and present Nexus leaders to celebrate 40 years of Tyne and Wear Metro at special event
The Urban Transport Group is bringing together the former boss of Nexus (the public body which operates the Tyne and Wear Metro) Mike Parker and its current Director General Tobyn Hughes for a special event to celebrate 40 years of the unique and pioneering light rail system.
West Midlands transport chief is new Chair of Urban Transport Group
Laura Shoaf, the Managing Director of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), is the new Chair of the Urban Transport Group.
Urban Transport Group launches new model to help predict bus use during and after COVID-19 pandemic
The Urban Transport Group has today launched the most sophisticated tool currently available for modelling bus use in city regions.
City regions must be “at the heart” of Government’s Green Industrial Revolution
UTG launches ‘Urban Transport Next’ - a new series of lunchtime conversations on the future beyond COVID
Urban Transport Group (UTG) has launched the first in a series of free online lunch-hour conversations to explore the future of urban transport as we begin to look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle the climate emergency.